The concept of divine simplicity in al-Farabi and Ibn Sina in classical Islamic philosophy

In Islamic Philosophy, there are generally two approaches to what God is and what kind of a being he is. The first approach accepts that God has an essence different from his existence and that God's attributes are separate from his essence. This is the approach advocated by the majority of theologians in the tradition of Islamic thought. According to the other approach, God has no essence apart from his existence and divine attributes are not separate from the essence. This approach is advocated by philosophers such as al-Fârâbî and Ibn Sina, and these philosophers have put forward an understanding of God in accordance with the divine simplicity theory. Divine simplicity has found a wide place in both Islamic philosophy and Western philosophy. This theory rejects any logical, physical, or metaphysical division in God and, it accepts God as a simple being, far from all kinds of compounds. Al-Fârâbî and Ibn Sina also formed an understanding of God in accordance with the principles set forth by this theory. In this study, it is discussed why al-Fârâbî and İbn Sina put forward an understanding of God within the framework of the theory of simplicity and how they ground this understanding. This understanding of God put forward by the philosophers has been examined in terms of concepts related to simplicity, in terms of the relationship between existence and essence, and in terms of the essence-attribute relationship.